Serra and the Wishblade
by Kusabi Makabe
Summary: Serra made a secret wish that she might become stronger. Unfortunately, wishes have a painful habit of coming true...SerraxMatthew, JaffarxNino, among others.
1. The Wishblade

DISCLAIMER: I, Kusabi Makabe, do not own Fire Emblem or the characters and weapons therein. But that would be AWESOME!

* * *

The cavern was terribly hot. Serra was constantly fanning herself, trying to stay in a semi-conscious state. Matthew trudged along next to her, somehow managing to fend off the guardians of the Durandal. On the off chance Matthew actually got hit by an attack, Serra would hurry over to heal his wounds – once the enemy was dead, of course.

"SERRA!" a gruff voice called from over the walls that separated the groups.

"Yes, Lord Hector?" the cleric called back.

"Lyn's in pretty bad shape," Hector's voice continued. "I need you to hurry it up!"

Serra rolled her eyes. "He makes it sound like I'm not...WHOA!"

A huge jet of flame rose between her and Matthew. He whirled around, somehow managing to keep his balance. Serra, conversely, fell onto her back. Once the flames subsided, Matthew crossed back over and helped her to her feet.

"I _hate_ this place!" Serra griped. "It's hot and filthy and there are bugs EVERYWHERE and the stupid flame jet things are all over the place…" She took a breath.

"We'll be out of here soon, alright?" Matthew said in an attempt to console the cleric. "Just take it easy."

They continued down the path. As much as it surprised him, Matthew had to admit that Serra could run very quickly at times. They rounded a corner and finally met the three lords. Eliwood was fighting a very large man, while Hector stood protectively over Lyn, who had a large gash across her stomach. Serra rushed over to the Sacaen woman, while Matthew left to aid Eliwood.

"Took you long enough," Hector reprimanded.

"I'm very busy healing right now, and can't understand a word that's coming out of your mouth," Serra said sweetly. Hector bit back a retort, instead letting her focus on her job.

"…There. Feel better, Lady Lyndis?"

Lyn looked up. "Yeah, thanks." She stood up and looked behind Serra. "But I think the fight's over…"

Serra turned around and saw Eliwood standing over the defeated guardian. She stood and walked over to the two fighters.

"Are you okay?" she asked, once again fanning herself.

"Yes, I'm fine," Eliwood answered. Matthew, meanwhile, walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss.

"…Who's ready to get out of this place?" Hector asked.

* * *

Serra looked around the cave as the five of them left. Eliwood had gotten a ridiculously large sword…just like Hector and Lyn had _their_ incredibly large weapons. She let out a brief sigh.

_Why can't I get a _really_ cool weapon? Like an Earthquake Staff?_ She thought to herself. _It would be so neat to have a powerful weapon like that…_

She began to fall behind slightly as she immersed herself in her surroundings. There were a lot of interesting things in the cave, now that she took the time to look; there were scattered weapons, and several precious stones (which she quickly picked up and stuffed in her pouch)…and…

"What's that?" she asked herself.

Before her was a shining lance, giving off a silver hue. She walked forward and attempted to pick it up. When that failed, she bent down to examine it.

"The Wishblade…the key to your wishes lies within this steel…" Her brow furrowed. "Wish_ Blade_? Shouldn't it be Wish _Lance?_" She reached out and grabbed it.

"Hmm…I wish…let's see. I wish for…no…this is hard!" Serra muttered to herself. "Umm…I wish that…Oh, I've got it! I wish…that I could be strong…like…that creepy dude that Nino's always hanging out with. Or Lord Hector. Or Matthew!" She grinned. "I wish that I was as strong as Matthew!"

For a few seconds, the silver glow grew stronger…and then it fell completely dim. Serra examined herself.

"…nothing happened. Well, I'll give it overnight. These things take time, you know?" She stood up and finally realized that the rest of the group was far ahead of her.

"Wha…HEY! Wait for me!" she called, running down the cavern.

* * *

That night, a torrential wind blew through the group's camp, causing a general ruckus. Erk sleepily wandered outside, trying to find out what was happening.

"It's quite fascinating, isn't it?" a cheerful voice called from his right. The young magician turned and saw Canas staring into the sky.

"It's strange," Erk answered. "I don't understand why the weather would change so suddenly."

Canas looked at him. "I've done a study on this sort of thing," he explained. "Do you see those lights up there?"

Erk followed Canas' finger. "You mean…the green ones? Those aren't stars are they?"

Canas chortled. "No, they aren't stars. They are spirits, Erk. They have come here because a wish is to be made true."

Erk cocked his head. "Amazing…" he whispered.

The green light floated across the sky. At one point, it cast numerous rays of light on the camp, forcing the two magic-users to shield their eyes. It then vanished behind one of the trees.

"Hmm. I'd wondered if I would ever see that," Canas said. "Well, time for bed!" He turned and strode to his tent.

After a few seconds, Erk returned to his as well.

* * *

Thus ends the prologue. I don't know how long this story will end up being…probably 5-7 chapters, although I can't really be sure. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! I'll update soon (since a prologue isn't a good way to taste a story…:)

Valete!


	2. A Wish Come True?

Serra rolled around the bed, slowly emerging from her recurring Queen of Ostia dream. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing her dreary brown quarters with the muddy ground beneath…

"What? This isn't my tent!" she snapped as she sat up. "Who moved me?" She stood up and stormed outside. She was rather shocked to find that it was still dark out; normally she slept in until breakfast was served, unless she was needed earlier. She looked around at the camp. No one else was awake.

"Where is everybody?" she asked the empty field. She grimaced at her voice – it was much lower than usual. Of course, she wouldn't be surprised if she had gotten sick after that ordeal yesterday…that cavern had been _so hot_…she cleared her throat, touching her hand to her neck as she did so. She felt…

Cloth…

She slowly walked back into the tent she had woken up in. She looked around for anything that would reflect, anything that would show her what she looked like…

She finally found a knife. She picked it up…

…and fainted.

* * *

The first thing Jaffar noticed when he woke up was how horrible his vision had gotten. He had stayed up a little after his shift, sure, but that didn't mean his eyesight should have downgraded so much. He sat up and looked around the room. Pink. Everything was pink.

He stood up and took a walk around the tent. Dolls, fuzzy pillows…_pink_. Why had someone put him in Serra's tent? He looked down.

Jaffar was wearing a white nightgown.

His mouth dropped open, much like Serra's would have if she had not fallen unconscious. He ran through the room, desperately looking for a knife to see himself in. Instead, he found a mirror with roses on the rim.

Serra. Somehow, some way, he was Serra.

He walked outside. It was nine o'clock judging by the sun, although Serra's terrible eyesight made him question that guess. Regardless, it was much later than he normally woke up. He slowly walked forward, trying to comprehend what had happened to him.

"Hey, look who's up!" a cheerful voice called from his right. He looked over and saw Matthew approaching him.

Jaffar's mind went into overdrive. How was he supposed to get out of this situation?

"How was your beauty sleep?" the thief asked, a playful smile on his face.

Jaffar stared. And stared. _There's no way to handle this_, he thought.

Matthew cocked his head. "You alright?" he asked in concern.

"…uh…excuse me." Jaffar muttered, hoping that Matthew would be smart enough to leave him alone. He turned around and began to head for his own tent.

* * *

"Jaffar?"

Serra forced herself to wake up. Once her vision cleared, she saw Nino sitting over her.

"Are you okay?" Nino asked. "You have a nasty cut…" The young mage pointed at Serra's "new" arm, which had a large red mark along the front half.

"Oh. I must've landed on the knife…" Serra said.

"Why did you fall on you knife?" Nino inquired. "I've never known you to trip on anything!"

"I fainted when I saw my reflec…tion…" Serra's voice trailed off. Nino was going to have questions after _that_ one…

Sure enough, a confused grin spread across Nino's face. "You…fainted?" she asked. "That's…wow. Uh…"

Serra bit her lip, trying to think of a way to tell Nino what had happened.

"You're biting your lip? Are you _sure_ you're okay? Maybe Serra should look at that…"

Serra snorted. _Ugh! _She thought. _I'm so bad at acting like Jaffar!_

Nino stared at her.

"Uh, Nino…" Serra began. "I have no idea how to start with this story, but…you can't take me to Serra, because I _am_ Serra."

Nino raised her eyebrows, and then lowered them again. "Okay…First, I must ask; you really aren't joking?"

"Would Jaffar do something like this?" Serra snapped.

"No, I guess not…How? How are you in Jaffar's body? Did you get some sort of new staff or something?"

"I didn't do it on _purpose_," Serra said. "I...oh, no! It was that stupid Wishblade!" She fell back and threw her hands on her head. "I made a wish yesterday that I would be stronger than Matthew…but it must have messed up somehow! Oh, NO!" She slammed a fist on the bed.

Nino sat back. "Maybe we can ask Uncle Canas what to do," she said. "He's pretty knowledgeable. Or maybe Erk, or Pent…"

Serra sat back up. "I guess that might work…" she mused. "Can you ask for me, though? I really don't want to be seen right now."

Nino nodded. "Yeah! I'll be right back."

* * *

As Jaffar walked past Oswin's tent, he heard the sound of running footsteps. He looked around and saw Nino running down the path.

"Nino?" he asked, wincing at the loudness of his voice.

Nino looked over to him and grinned. "Oh, hey…Jaffar."

He blinked. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I was just in your tent, talking to a very distraught assassin," she said, giggling. "Don't worry. I'm going to ask Uncle Canas if he has any ideas about how to reverse it. You want to come?"

Jaffar considered it, and then shook his head. "This is…embarrassing," he admitted.

Nino gave him a smile and then ran off. He scratched the back of his head, angrily shaking the pigtail off his arm, and then quickly returned to Serra's tent.

* * *

Yeah. So that's the OFFICIAL Chapter 1! (Fireworks go off in the background) I don't know when the next update will be, but it shouldn't be too long… 


	3. Timnon

The pub was incredibly hot. Timnon waded through the sea of bodies (not to mention the odd spot of waste and vomit), trying to force his way to the quarters at the back of the building. His garb didn't help either – he was wearing a large brown robe to hide himself, which amplified the heat several times over.

After several minutes, he managed to reach the door. He stepped inside, not sure what to expect. To his surprise, the person behind the door was a woman, long black hair flowing down to her waist. To either side of her were two rather strong looking men, both wearing steel armor. This woman, though…

"You are Timnon?" the woman asked. He quickly closed the door behind him, just to make sure that no one heard their conversation.

"Yeah," he answered. He pulled off his hood, revealing his unkempt orange hair and grey eyes. He looked the woman over again. _Been a while since I've seen a girl like her_, he thought.

"I take it you have decided to accept this mission?" the woman asked.

He grinned slightly. "40,000 gold for completing the mission, or death. I have to say, the choice was a little obvious."

She blinked once, then turned and picked up a dagger. "Your mission," she began, "is going to be extremely difficult. I must warn you; you must never drop your guard, never waver in your focus. If you do, you will most certainly die."

He smiled at her. "I figured as much," he said.

"You are going to go to Badon," she continued. "In Badon, there is a group of pirates led by a man named Fargus. In a few days, a group of warriors will arrive in Badon and go to Dread Isle. You are to ensure that two of these warriors die."

Timnon raised his eyebrows. "Stowaway?" he asked.

"Yes. When you kill these two, you must collect their quintessence." She pulled a small brown gem out of her robe. "You will take this stone and pour their blood on it. DO you understand?"

Timnon nodded. "Who are these two people I'm going after?"

The woman stared at him for a second. "The first is Nino Reed, a young mage of some renown among the Black Fang. She has green hair, and is around the age of fifteen. She should be easy to identify."

"And the other?"

"The Angle of Death."

A shocked expression flew across Timnon's face. "The Angel of Death?" he sputtered. "That's…"

"As I mentioned, you must never drop your guard." She lowered her gaze. "Do you understand your instructions?"

Timnon hesitated briefly, and then answered. "Yeah."

She closed her eyes and vanished.

* * *

Two days had passed since Serra's misguided wish. So far, only a few members of the camp had learned about it; Nino had told Canas, who had told Erk (with Serra and Jaffar's permission), who had told Pent and Louise (without Serra or Jaffar's permission). Louise had managed to convince Eliwood that the two were feeling ill, so he had kept them out of the fight.

At seven thirty, dinner was served. Serra stepped into the dining hall of Castle Ostia, praying like crazy that Nino was inside somewhere. Unfortunately, that request was not granted. She barely managed to restrain stomping her foot, and wandered over to a table to sit by herself.

"I hate being alone," she muttered to herself.

She looked around the hall. Matthew was sitting with Rebecca and Wil, chatting happily with them. Kent was sitting across from Lady Lyndis, looking far less uptight than usual. Lords Eliwood and Hector were sitting together and laughing, and apparently trying to ignore their respective retainers, who stood over them with stoic expressions.

"Stupid Jaffar!" she cursed. "Why does he have to be such a recluse?" She stood up and went to grab some steak.

* * *

Jaffar, meanwhile, was in Serra's tent, feigning sleep. That was his essential strategy; since he couldn't make himself loud and irritable, he would pretend to be asleep and evade the act altogether.

He didn't know how to react when he heard quiet footsteps coming his way. He knew it was Matthew – only he, Matthew, and Legault could walk that quietly, and Legault wouldn't be coming here – but didn't know how to react. Matthew would surely want to talk to Serra, and he wouldn't know how to respond…

He quickly stood up and crawled under then tent. Once through (and covered in mud and leaves), he dashed over to a slump of bushes and dove behind them.

"Serra?" Matthew's voice called into the tent. "…Where is that girl? She wasn't in the castle…"

Jaffar stared at the tent, waiting for the thief to leave. Unfortunately…

"Well, I'll just wait here for her. She has to come back sometime."

Jaffar pushed his way back through the bushes and looked around. He couldn't go back to Serra's tent, of course…where else could he go where he wouldn't have to talk to anyone?

After a few seconds, he turned around and crawled back into the bushes.

* * *

Erk silently walked into the dining hall. "This has been a rather interesting day," the apprentice mage murmured as he looked around. "That morph was certainly an annoying creature." He walked over to the food and picked up a few of the smaller morsels.

He looked around, trying to decide where to sit. Of course, everyone had broken into their usual groups; Kent and Lyn, Wil and Rebecca, Priscilla, Lucius, and Raven…

His eyes fixated on the one person that was sitting alone in the room.

"…I can't believe I'm doing this…" he groaned as he walked over to the body that contained Serra.

* * *

And that's chapter 2 (or three, if you prefer). I hope you liked it! I'll try to get an update soon, hopefully over the weekend…

Yeah. See you then.

Valete!


	4. The Inn of Badon

The group arrived at the inn at Badon two days later. Serra took a look around. The place was relatively clean, and had drapes covering the windows to protect patrons from the blazing sun.

"Ah, what delight!" Sain exclaimed upon entry. He immediately walked over to the counter and dropped several coins into Anna's hand. "I would like one room, please, for me and my beauteous love!" He reached over and pulled Fiora close to him. "Although, I suppose you could stop by sometime during the – OW!" He turned to the Pegasus knight, who had just slapped him across the face. "What transgression have I done, my love?" he asked.

Fiora turned to Anna and dropped another several coins on the counter. "I'll take another room, please." She then stormed off to the lodgings.

Serra smiled and walked over to the paladin. "Way to go, Sain," she teased.

He looked at her. _Oops_, she thought.

"Ah…I'm sorry?" he sputtered. He blinked several times, apparently trying to make the no-longer-an-assassin disappear. She paused for a second, and then quickly retreated to the bar.

Jaffar, meanwhile, was standing in a corner, hoping that it was dark enough for him not to be noticed. He looked around, hoping that he could get away from anyone who approached before they actually reached him.

"Hey, why's Serra off by herself?" Guy asked Priscilla.

"Um, I don't know…" she answered. "Maybe someone should go talk to her."

They both looked at Erk.

"I really don't think I'm the one to talk to her…" he muttered.

"Okay, I'll go," Priscilla decided. Erk glanced at her, and then decided that she would be fine. Jaffar would probably just ignore her, anyway. She went to sit with Serra and the two began to talk. Erk began to look away, but then quickly snapped his head back to Priscilla and "Serra". They were _talking_? Jaffar was _talking_?

Priscilla was _laughing_?

His jaw dropped slightly. Guy looked over to him in concern. "You okay, Erk? You look like you could use a drink!" He jumped up and ran over to the bar.

Erk stood up and strode over to the two of them.

"…and then I said, 'That's just a scratch!' and he told me that if I didn't heal it his _mommy_ would make him stay home!" the pink-haired cleric said, giggling.

Priscilla was howling with laughter. "Oh, listen to this one! I had to heal one of the court mages once during a fight, and he tried to steal my staff! He seemed to think that he would do a better job of healing than I would." She shook her head. "Isn't that silly? I mean, everybody knows you can't heal yourself!"

They both turned to Erk, who was staring at them in complete disbelief.

"…Erk? Are you okay?" Priscilla asked in concern.

Guy suddenly appeared, somehow holding seven flagons of ale. "This'll make you feel better!" he said, grinning. "Oh, did you want some too, Priscilla?"

"No, thank you," she answered. "I try to avoid drinking anything except water, if I can." She turned back to He That Was Inside Serra. "I've had some interesting experiences with that, too…have you ever tried to heal a drunken man?"

The two continued to engage in conversation, while Erk began to make his way through the ale.

* * *

Timnon arrived later that night. He waited until the bar was mostly empty, and then walked in and approached the front desk. It was, fortunately, unoccupied, so he picked the drawer open and grabbed a room key (as well as several gold pieces and a small ruby).

He started down the hall toward the back room. As he walked, he was nearly hit by a door that flew open. A green-armored knight stumbled back into the hall and fell backward against the wall.

"_Goodnight_, Sain!" an angry female voice yelled. The door slammed back shut. The man gave Timnon a sheepish grin. "Alas, I must remain in solitude tonight."

Timnon watched the knight walk to his room, then turned and continued down the hall. Once again, he was met with an angry couple.

"You idiot!" a young green-haired girl screeched as she opened the door from another room. "How could you say that about Dan?"

"I'm sorry," a young man responded. "It's just that this is the fourth time I've seen him with a girl since he joined…"

"So? I've not once heard you say that about _Sain_!"

"Rebecca, I meant 'Casanova' as a compliment! I'm sure he would think it was funny…"

She slammed the door in his face and stomped down the hall. "Sorry about that," she muttered to Timnon as she walked past.

He nodded his head. "I hope they're this easy to watch all the time," he mumbled to himself.

* * *

Canas sat in his room, poring over his notes. Up until now, he had only found one way to reverse a wish, but it involved whatever the wish had been made upon. Surely they couldn't go back to the caves and get the Wishblade now…and Serra had said that the glow had left when she used it, so that meant its magical energy was probably gone.

He propped his head up on one hand. "I know that there was a way to do this…" he mumbled. "What was it?" He shook his head. "Well, I'll never find it if I'm this tired…"

He stood up and began to put everything away.

* * *

Thus ends this segment. I hope you enjoyed it! I'm trying to put a little more humor in, now that the plot is firmly established. I don't know if Sain cheating on Fiora in a painfully obvious manner is "Romance", though...eh, well.

Valete!


	5. Saint Elimine's Staff

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

It recently occurred to me that it might be confusing to people when I say "Serra" and "Jaffar" since they've switched bodies. For future reference, I will refer to Serra and Jaffar by their spirits (so the quiet CHARACTER is Jaffar, and the loudmouthed holy woman is Serra). I hope that made sense…

* * *

The next morning was a slow one. Wil spent his time trying to find Rebecca, Rebecca spent her time avoiding Wil, Fiora stewed in a corner, and Guy drank a toast with Sain.

"To future brides!" the swordsman called cheerily. Fiora glared in their direction.

"Ah…to the fair Pegasus Knight!" Sain responded. "May she remember her helpless victim!" They both downed their mugs.

Erk stumbled into the room, clutching his forehead. Pent and Louise followed closely behind him. Pent made his way over to Sain and Guy, an angry expression on his face.

"What were you _thinking_?" he demanded of Guy. "How could you give a child alcohol?"

Guy blinked at the sage. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Pent sputtered. "You got Erk drunk!"

"So?" Guy cocked his head slightly. "The first time I got drunk I was seven years old! Man, this stuff doesn't hold a candle to Sacaen mountain ale!" He chuckled.

The two continued their argument for several minutes. Serra walked in a few minutes later, trying not to draw attention to herself.

"Excuse me…"

She whirled around and came face-to-face with Canas. "Oh, hello," she murmured.

"I've found something I think you might like," Canas said, a minute smile playing on his lips. "It's the cure."

"You found it?" she gasped.

"Yes, I have. We can't do it yet…I'm afraid we don't have everything we need…" He scratched the back of his neck. "However, I have heard rumors that what we need is on Dread Isle. Quite convenient, really…"

"Let me see it," Serra said. He nodded and led her back to his room, where Jaffar and Nino were waiting.

"I found this last night as I was cleaning up," he began. "The remedy for a wish is quite simple, actually. All we need is for a bishop to focus his or her energy into this." He pointed at an ornate staff on one of his scrolls.

"Wow!" Nino exclaimed. "What is that?"

"That's the Archangel!" Serra exclaimed. "The staff that Saint Elimine used!"

Canas smiled. "Yes, that's correct. I have heard from my mother that a dark mage took the staff from it's home several years ago and brought it to Dread Isle. I'm not certain where it would be, but we should be able to find it."

"The Archangel?" Jaffar asked. He looked over to Nino.

"I think I've heard of it," Nino said. "I think Mother said something about 'that wretched abomination' getting hold of it…I don't know what that means, though."

"Limstella." Jaffar added. Nino hesitated, and then nodded in agreement.

Serra looked to the others. "I've always wanted to have that staff!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm actually getting it!"

Canas laughed. "Would you mind if I studied it a little?" he inquired.

"I guess not…" she said. "Just let me keep it."

Jaffar sighed impatiently and left the room. Nino gave Canas a quick hug and then followed suit.

"I suppose I should leave. Mages have to eat…" Canas nodded at Serra and then left the room.

Serra continued to stare at the Archangel. After a few seconds she, too, left the room.

* * *

Timnon walked into the hallway. Seeing no one, he quickly ran to the nearest door and began to pick the lock. Any information at this point would help, any at all…

A few seconds later, the lock gave a satisfying _click_. He stood up and ran inside.

The room was dim; the curtains had been drawn and the only light came from a nearly dead candle. Timnon stepped forward and began to examine the room.

The first thing that caught his eye was a scroll sitting on the desk next to the bed. He walked over to it and began to read it. It spoke of a priceless treasure, one that would bring him all the glory and riches he longed for.

The Archangel.

* * *

Serra walked outside, hoping to get some fresh air (well, as fresh as possible in Badon, anyway). While she didn't find fresh air, she did find a red-robed magician.

"Erk? What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Nnngh." He grunted. "I have a tremendous headache…"

"Oh. When I get headaches I munch on some parsley. It always sends that headache right off. Or have you tried mashed potatoes with pepper?"

Erk's head sagged even lower. "I don't think I'll ever get used to you and Jaffar switching…" he mumbled.

"Well, we won't be this way much longer. Canas said he found out how to switch us back!"

Erk looked at her. "Really?"

"Yeah. He said we have to find the Archangel. And he said _I_ get to keep it!"

"…nnngh…" Erk groaned. "Does that staff interfere with free will?"

Serra thought for a second. "I don't think so," she said.

"Good."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Erk lowered his head again. "Vassals."

Serra rolled her eyes and walked back inside.

* * *

Matthew stood in front of Serra's room, debating whether or not he should go in. She had been sick for so long, and he really wanted to see her…but did that make it okay to break into her room?

"Eh…desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, it's not like she'd care." He grinned. "Let's do this!" He knelt down and began to pick the lock.

"That's not very nice, don't you think?"

Matthew jumped back and turned to face the speaker. He was met with Legault, eyebrows raised in the universal question mark.

"Oh, it's just you." Matthew said. "I just want to to make sure Serra's okay."

"Oh, I see. Well, by all means…" Legault gestured to the door and then walked into his own room.

Matthew clicked the lock open and walked inside. He was not expecting to see an orange-haired man rifling through Serra's clothes.

"What the…?" Matthew exclaimed. He charged the mystery thief, and was met with a quick blow to the head. He tottered on his feet for half a second, and then fell to the floor.

* * *

Chapter 5…complete…Chapter six will be up soon (I hope), maybe even over the weekend!

Valete!


	6. A Stormy Ride

My apologies to all my readers. I wasn't sure if putting that Author's Note back in Chapter 5 was a good idea, and I guess it wasn't…I don't really know how to explain stuff, so just read it as it makes sense, okay? 8 D

* * *

The ride on Fargus' ship was fairly uneventful. Serra wanted to visit the bed-ridden Matthew, but Nino told her not to. Apparently, Jaffar and Matthew didn't get along so well.

"Well that's stupid!" Serra yelled. "What does he have against Matthew?"

Nino looked away. "Um…well…oh, COOKIES!" She ran off in the general direction of the mess hall.

Jaffar, meanwhile, had to sit by Matthew's side and pretend he was afraid the thief would die. It was clear to him from the beginning that the wound was nowhere near fatal, but everybody was making a fuss about it anyway. He often wondered who had done this to Matthew, but couldn't come to any conclusions. The only conclusion he could reach was that it was a setup by the Fang; no common burglar could have bested Matthew so easily.

Lucius walked in a few hours after they had set sail. "How is Matthew doing?" he asked.

"Fine," Jaffar replied.

Lucius looked around the small bunk. "I wonder if it's best that he recover before or after we get there," he said. "I fear he may be a little reckless when we arrive."

Jaffar said nothing, instead opting to look preoccupied.

"I get worried about him sometimes," the monk continued. "I fear that he may let his anger best him…"

Jaffar tensed up. "Perhaps…" He looked at the sleeping man. "He has good reason to be angry…"

Lucius looked down. "Well, maybe," he said slowly. "But…don't you think that, maybe…Maybe the man that killed Leila is already dead?"

Jaffar looked over to him. "What?"

Lucius looked up at him. "I just…I feel that the Jaffar who killed Leila…I don't believe that he exists anymore. I think that he died in Bern, and…and that a new Jaffar was born." He licked his lips. "I…Forgive me. That must have sounded ridiculous…"

Jaffar hesitated for a second.

"...Perhaps you're right."

* * *

That night, a powerful storm hit the boat. Fargus stood on the deck, barking orders to his men, while Eliwood rushed around to make sure everyone was okay. Florina and Heath stayed with the mounts, trying to keep them calm, and Lyn stayed with Nils to make sure he didn't fly off the boat.

"This is ridiculous!" Serra screeched (a very odd noise to hear coming from Jaffar's throat). "Can't Canas calm the wind or something?"

Erk rolled his eyes as Serra stumbled into a chair. "What would you have him do? Cast Fimbulvetr?"

Serra glared at him. "He'd do better than you!" she yelled. "All you'd do is flip the boat over!"

They both jumped as Lowen fell into the room.

"Ah, excuse me," the cavalier panted. "Eliwood needs you, Erk. He wants to know if you'll help Lord Pent fight off the storm."

"Of course," Erk said smugly. He followed Lowen out of the room, leaving Serra in a fuming heap on the floor. She huffed angrily, pushed herself up, and walked outside.

At first, she couldn't see anything. Eventually she was able to make out the form of Karel standing in the middle of the deck with his arms folded. He nimbly sidestepped Hector, who was rolling – for lack of a more accurate word – across the ship.

She made her way over to the stern, were Erk and Pent were performing some magical rite. She watched as a strong violet light engulfed them and then shot up into the sky. The clouds began to part, and the blue sky appeared overhead.

"...Showoff," she grumbled to herself.

* * *

The party arrived at Dread Isle two days later. Karel and Karla asked to take the lead since almost everyone else was still shaky from the boat ride. Legault lifted a few mugs of beer and shared them with Guy. Bartre challenged Raven to yet another duel, which Raven once again won.

Timnon watched all of this from his position in the underbelly of the ship. The group finally headed off, leaving Fargus and the young boy behind. The boy and Fargus seemed to have a brief conversation, and then the boy started off after the others.

Timnon smiled to himself and began to make his way out of the boat.

"I wonder if I get bonus pay for some extra quintessence…" he thought to himself.

* * *

Sorry the chapter's so short. The next one's gonna be good, though. I don't know when it'll be, so I'll stick with the usual "soon". XD

Happy Fire Emblem-ing!


	7. Chasing the Bard

_This sucks._

Serra walked alongside her teammates, doing her best to imitate Jaffar's "walk". She was still worried about Matthew, especially since _she_ was supposed to be nursing him in the first place.

Erk and Lucius walked on either side of her. Erk would periodically pick a book out of his pack and start reading, which bothered Serra to no end. Lucius, meanwhile, kept giving her funny looks that she didn't really know how to interpret.

Jaffar, meanwhile, sat with Merlinus and Matthew in the supply wagon. The old man was really beginning to pry into his nerves, something that didn't happen very often. Matthew had slowly regained consciousness over the past few hours, and had recently begun to start talking.

"Whothere?" the thief mumbled into the room. He tilted his head toward Jaffar. "That you, Serra?"

Jaffar nodded his head. "I'm here," he said.

"Whahappen?" Matthew moaned. "Catch the burglar?"

"No, he got away," Jaffar answered. "I think he must have been with the Fang, to catch you like that."

Matthew grinned. "Yeah…big bad assassiny guy. Sounds good." He looked away. "Guess I shouldn'a gone in. Just wanted to make sure you were okay…" He closed his eyes. "How's everyone doin'?"

Jaffar took a second to summon forth his Gabbing Powers. "Well, Wil and Rebecca made up, and Fiora's Pegasus kicked Sain in the back of the head, and Nils still isn't talking but we left him with Fargus, and -"

"Fargus?" Matthew asked, puzzled. "What…are we on Dread Isle already?"

Jaffar looked at him. "Yeah," he said. "We just got off the boat a few hours ago."

"Oh…I hope that poor kid's doin' okay," he mumbled.

A wyvern shriek filled the air. Jaffar thought it was probably Heath's, though it was hard to tell wyvern calls apart.

A few seconds later, Matthew began to snore.

Loudly.

* * *

Serra clapped her hands over her ears as Hyperion let out a loud cry. Heath landed him next to Eliwood and began to talk to him. He seemed a little out of breath and extremely nervous. After a few seconds, he turned around and flew back toward the ship.

Serra and Lucius walked up to Eliwood. "What's going on?" Lucius asked.

"Heath says someone's approaching us from the rear," Eliwood answered. "He thinks it might be Nils."

"Nils is coming by himself?" Serra asked.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Lucius added.

"I sent him back to check it out," Eliwood said. "I'm going, too. Do you three want to come?"

"Three?" Serra asked. She turned around and saw Kent sitting on his horse.

"I'll take one of you along," Kent offered. "Do you both know how to ride a horse?"

"I've been taught a little bit," Lucius said. He stepped over to Kent, who helped him onto the saddle.

"Do you want to come, too?" Eliwood asked Jaffar. Serra managed to repress yelling "Duh!" and instead nodded and got on.

* * *

Jaffar's head shot up.

"…approaching from the rear…might be Nils."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

He stood up and hopped off of the wagon. He turned the corner just in time to see Eliwood and Serra riding back toward the pirate ship.

Jaffar took a deep breath and began to run after them. Needless to say, he was really surprised at how fast Serra could run at times.

* * *

Legault and Canas walked in the center of the small army. Canas would occasionally stoop down and pick up something, usually a rare variety of flower. Legault, meanwhile, would constantly find pieces of ebony or silver on the ground, which he thought would sell for a "fair price".

"Oh, great," Legault sighed as he looked ahead. "Looks like Karel and Karla are going at it again."

Canas watched in fascination. "Oh, did I tell you about my new field of research?"

Legault shook his head.

"I have decided to devote a month or two to the studying Karel. Measuring his mood swings and his bloodlusts and all that. I think I'm going to call it 'sociopathology'. What do you think?"

Legault grimaced and Karel slashed Karla's left leg. "I think you're going to get yourself slaughtered, my friend," he said. "He's a dangerous dude."

Canas pursed his lips. "Would you be willing to spy on him?" he asked earnestly. "I can pay you five thousand gold a week, if you like."

Legault's outlook immediately reversed. "Of course!" he shouted. "That's definitely worth the risk. Besides, I can run faster than he can."

Karla let out a screech and plunged her sword into Karel's belly. Karel took the moment to plant his sword in her shoulder.

"Serra! Priscilla!" Lyn called out. "A little help here?" She ran forward and tried to restrain Karel.

"I wonder why they fight like that," Canas continued. "It will be such a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the human mind!"

Legault smiled. "Sure, whatever."

* * *

Nils trudged along the path after his friends. His movements were jerky and robotic, his head rolled from side to side. His mind was completely clouded, just as Ninian's had been when she walked that path a short time ago. Every now and then he would try to look up or walk normally, but he just didn't care enough to do anything.

For a long time, he was completely emotionless. But, after he had been walking for some amount of time, he began to feel it. The presence.

Death was coming up behind him.

* * *

Yeah…so this is my definition of "soon"…ahem. Sorry about the delay, but I finally updated the story! Yay for chocolate!

Gotta go. Hope you liked it!

Valete.


	8. Renault's Treasure

Jaffar came to a halt; specifically, he tipped over and fell onto his face. By his count, that was the fourth time that had occurred, and it was really starting to get on his nerves. He had always been a swift runner, and he had _never_ fallen down. Except for one of the first times he had met Nino, of course.

_Can't forget that_.

And now the stupid little girl had gone off to rescue Nils. Not that Jaffar held Nils in any contempt; he was a little fond of the child, actually. The thing that bothered him was that Serra was obviously as unaccustomed to his body as he was to hers, and yet she had run off to save Nils anyway.

_So? _Nino's voice popped in his head. _You're running off to rescue the whole group. Does that say anything?_

Jaffar groaned and pushed himself back up.

* * *

Serra and Eliwood rode along in silence. Serra was, as usual, trying to refrain from talking. Eventually the two caught up to Kent and Lucius and rode alongside them.

"Did Heath say how far out Nils is?" Lucius called.

"No, he didn't," Eliwood yelled back. "We'll just have to keep going until we find him."

Lucius sighed and began to look around.

"Don't worry, Lucius," Kent said. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He can sense danger, can't he?"

"Yes…I suppose."

Serra sat there, torn between worry and utter frustration. She was growing weary of riding on the horse, and it kept bouncing and leaning. She shook her head and looked off into the distance.

"There!" she cried. She pointed off to the right, where the vague outline of a boy stood. Eliwood immediately turned the horse, and Kent followed suit.

* * *

Nils walked across the plains. He desperately wanted to run, and yet something in his mind kept him from it. He walked on, trying his best to pretend that he was oblivious to the villain chasing him.

Eventually he had an idea. He reached into his pack and pulled out his flute.

"I hope this works…" he whispered.

He began to play tune similar to the one he had played so many times for his friends; the one that sped them up and revitalized them on the field.

Only this time, he played it in a minor key.

* * *

Timnon's eyes flew open. Something bizarre was happening to him; his legs felt like iron in the forge, his neck felt like noodle. His body was slowing down. He felt the sudden need for sleep. Or food. Or a serving girl. Or…

The music from the child's flute filled his ears, and he collapsed.

"Blazzzzzzz…"

* * *

Lyn's group finally reached the ruins of the Dragon Gate. Naturally, it was well defended by a seemingly endless sea of morphs led by Limstella. Lyn had considered not allowing Karel and Karla to fight since they had tried to kill each other before, but when she saw the size of the enemy army, she was forced to change her mind. Hector was, as usual, flanked by Oswin, Dorcas, and Bartre.

"Where is Lord Eliwood?" Marcus screamed. "I can't believe he just left like that!" He rode over to Oswin and began to rant on and on about how disrespectful and foolish his lord was. Oswin nodded sympathetically.

The group charged into the battle. Lyn and Hector led the army through the morphs. Many of the warriors didn't even get scratched, although Louise did get a fairly deep cut from an opposing sniper.

"Why must you go after that fool from Bern?" Raven yelled up to his sister. "You'll be on the run for the rest of your life if you keep fawning after him like that!"

"Raven, please drop it…" Priscilla said quietly. "He is a wonderful man, and he'll treat me with respect. That's more than I can say for some people."

Raven rolled his eyes. "Oh, I see! This isn't even about him, is it? You're just trying to make me jealous, aren't you? Admit it!"

Priscilla sighed. "I love him, Raven. Can't we just leave it at that?"

Erk and Guy pretended that they couldn't hear anything.

"Should we lead them over there?" Guy asked. He pointed to a fairly empty-looking ruin nearby.

"Sounds good. Maybe they'll stay forever and leave us in peace." Erk muttered.

"Of course we can't leave it at that! He's a _deserter_, Priscilla! A _deserter_! And he has the most ridiculous hair ever conceived by man! _And_ he made you cry! _AND_ he annoys me!"

Priscilla let out a loud groan. "I don't see what the problem is, Raymond!" she screeched. "After all, you are the one who's in love with a MAN!"

"Dude, he's got a point," Guy added.

Raven lapsed into a cold silence.

They finally reached the ruins and proceeded inside. Raven immediately tensed up, ready for any danger that might come.

"Who are you?"

They all spun around and saw an older man. He wore clothes like a bishop of Elimine, and had green hair.

"Who are _you_?" Guy retorted.

"…idiot…" Erk kicked Guy in the shin, and then addressed the man. "We are warriors in the army of Eliwood, Lord of Pherae. Who are you?"

"I am Renault." The man answered. He stood up and approached the party. "I take it you have come to fight the morphs?"

Priscilla nodded. Raven tensed even further.

"Would you allow me to join your group?" Renault asked. "Perhaps if I join you, I can find what I've been looking for."

Raven snorted. "Sure. We're just going to let some random guy join our ranks."

"Uh…that's what we've been doing this entire time…" Guy mumbled. Raven kicked his other shin.

"We would be delighted to have you join us, Renault." Priscilla said. "However, you should know that we intend to find and defeat Nergal and undo his plans of bringing dragons to the world."

"Excellent. Let me just get my things." Renault stood up and began to gather several items scattered around the area. A Light Rune…a light tome…some healing things…and…

Erk jaw dropped as he saw the final item the man picked up.

"Archangel," he whispered.

* * *

Serra and Eliwood finally managed to reach Nils. As soon as he saw them he stopped playing his flute and rushed to meet them.

"Are you all right?" Eliwood asked in concern.

"I'm okay…" Nils answered. "But someone was following me. Someone's after us, Eliwood!" He fumbled in his pack and brought out an Earth Seal. "But Fargus told me to give you this…"

Eliwood grabbed it and placed it in his own back. "Do you know how far away he is?" the lord asked.

"Not too far…I played a song to keep him away. But I don't know how long it will last…"

Eliwood grabbed Nils' arm and sat him on the horse between him and Serra. "We're going to take you back, and then we can all fight this guy together."

Serra looked off in the distance once again. She could make out a form on the ground, but it was very distant.

The five turned around and began to ride back.

* * *

Jaffar continued his trek back to the ship. By his memory, he had just reached the halfway point between the ship and where he had left the main army. If that was true, Nils and the rest of the group shouldn't be too far ahead of him.

"Where are they?" he gasped. He looked around the plains for any sign of Nils or Eliwood. After what he decided was a good sweep of the area, he continued walking forward.

After what seemed like an eternal march, he found fresh hoof prints in the dirt. He began to follow them toward the ship.

* * *

Ah…that wasn't _so_ long…I guess. Well, anyway, I hope you liked that. This will probably have two more chapters, but I'm still not sure. I've given up on guessing when I'll update again, so let's stick with two weeks.

HeathxPriscilla forever! They should have gotten a decent ending. (sniffle)

Valete.


	9. The Clash of the Assassins

Four days of finals…and then school is OUT!

Okay…so I'm going to change this form Humor/Romance to Humor/Action/Adventure, since this is really not turning out all that romantic. This chapter happens to have more action in it than the rest, as well, but there's still some humor to it.

Enjoy!

* * *

Matthew stumbled out of the supply wagon, nearly colliding with Merlinus and knocking over several carefully positioned lances.

"Where's Serra?" he called out to the group.

Marcus turned to face him. "Serra ran off to find Nils," he said sternly. "And you should still be resting."

"Yeah, whatever," Matthew grumbled. He charged past the paladin and ran off toward the ship. Marcus frowned at the thief and then hurled a javelin at a nearby morph.

* * *

Erk and Guy walked alongside Renault toward the Black Fang's headquarters. Erk kept trying to bring up the Archangel, but was unsure how to do so. Especially with a strange and quite possibly deranged man.

"So what brings a bishop out to Dread Isle?" Guy asked cheerfully.

"…I suppose I'm here for the same reason you are," Renault answered. "I wish to stop Nergal."

"Is the church of Elimine involved now?" Guy asked. "I thought we were the only ones who knew about Nergal and his schemes."

Renault sighed. "I don't wish to talk about it." He hesitated for a few seconds. "Why are you a member of these ranks?"

"Oh…" Guy said. "Well, uh…you see, this guy Matthew kind of save my life a while back, and I'm here to help him out. I don't know how long this'll go on, but I figure I might as well stay in all the way! Besides, I've made some friends here." He grinned and Priscilla and winked at her, and then quickly looked away when Raven pointed his axe at him.

"Excuse me, Father Renault…" Erk started. "Is that...um…the Archangel?"

Renault raised his eyebrows. "Why, yes. I managed to reclaim it from the morphs here. I was happy to find it intact."

Erk cleared his throat. "Um…I know this is asking a lot, but…may we use it for something?"

"...What?" Renault asked.

"My..." Erk paused for a second. "…friend Serra made a wish recently. She wished that she would become stronger like 'that creepy dude that Nino's always hanging out with'. The next morning, she found herself in that man's body, and he is now in hers. We want to switch them back to themselves, but Canas said that the only way is to use the Archangel…"

Renault paused to consider it. "I suppose no harm could come of letting you do that," he mused. "But I advise you to only use it this once. Overusing the Archangel or using it for your own selfish desires can have…interesting consequences."

"Like what?" Guy asked excitedly.

"Like destroying all of the muscles in your right arm," Renault said dryly. Guy grimaced at the mere thought of losing his swordfighting ability.

* * *

Jaffar stood in the middle of the woods, listening. He was sure he had heard someone, or something. Could it possibly have been Nils? Or perhaps Serra?

No. Too quiet. Nils would be walking normally, and Serra's group was on horseback. This person was being silent on purpose.

Jaffar looked around. He was sure that the sound was coming from the right, but he didn't know how close the source was yet. He silently cursed Serra's pathetic ears.

He reached for his dagger to prepare for the upcoming fight. But when his hand reached his side, he stopped abruptly.

He didn't have a dagger. What he did have was a Sleep Staff.

He raised it slowly and pointed it to the source of the sound. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, praying that the staff would work for him…

* * *

The army finally reached the ruins that served as the Black Fang's headquarters. Only five morphs remained, Limstella among them.

"I will not allow you to enter this place," Limstella droned as she shot a Fimbulvetr at Nino, who jumped out of the way just in time. She responded with a blast of Elfire, which hit the ground at the morph's feet and sent her flying backwards.

Florina and Fiora were circling around a sniper. He shot an arrow at Fiora, who barely evaded the attack. Florina took the opportunity to swoop down and attack. Fiora smiled; snipers always seemed to fall for that tactic.

Sain let out a deafening shout and charged an opposing paladin. The two got into a bizarre battle; the morph seemed to mimic everything Sain did.

Bartre and Dorcas were, as usual, duking it out with morph Warriors.

Canas charged up to Limstella as she picked herself back up. For a second, he considered asking her technical questions about morphs, but when she glared at him and shot another Fimbulvetr, he decided to attack instead. He shot a Fenrir at her, which consumed her completely.

Lyn walked up to the entrance of the ruins.

"Who's ready to go inside?" she asked.

* * *

Jaffar walked up to the man. Apparently the staff had worked; the would-be assassin was lying prone on the dirt, his limbs flung about in all different directions. Jaffar slowly walked up to the man and reached for his dagger…

* * *

Timnon's eyes flew open and he grabbed the girl's arm. He yanked her forward, causing her to trip over him and stumble forward. He quickly stood up, brandished his two blades, and charged at her.

* * *

Jaffar leapt to the side and grabbed the Sleep Staff once again. Perhaps he couldn't use magic, even in a cleric's body; but did that mean he couldn't use a heavy object as a blunt weapon?

He leapt back just out of reach of Timnon's attack and then swung the staff at his head. It connected, and he staggered backwards.

Timnon glared at Jaffar. They both hesitated for a second, and then Timnon raised his daggers to his side and began to spin them.

Timnon leapt at Jaffar, but before he could get there, he was met with a surprise; a dagger that implanted itself in his back. He made a choking noise and fell forwards, revealing a blonde thief behind him.

"Are you okay?" Matthew asked. He ran over to Jaffar, who was holding the staff like a shield. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Jaffar shook his head. He was still trying to get past the fact that someone had tried to pull that move off on him. And, worse yet, he couldn't have done anything about it.

Matthew wrapped his arms around the cleric's body. "Those were some pretty cool moves you pulled," he said, smiling. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"…Nino told me a story about Jaffar once. I just kind of reenacted it."

Matthew took his right hand and gently pushed Jaffar's chin up. He felt his stomach churn for a second as he understood what was about to happen.

Matthew leaned in and kissed Jaffar.

_Don't…throw…up…don't…throw…up…don't…gah…_

Jaffar used the one safe tactic he could.

He fainted.

* * *

And that's chapter 9…I think 10 will be the last one, although there might be a chapter 11. I hope you liked this one, even though it was a little more actiony than the rest.

See you all later! Please leave a review on your way out. XD


	10. Three Magicians

Serra looked around for any sign of Matthew or Jaffar. Matthew had run off twenty minutes earlier (according to a very irate Marcus) and Nils said that he hadn't seen anyone on the way back.

"Where are they?" she asked the general public.

"I don't know," Wil said. "Since when do you care about Matthew, anyway?"

Serra rounded on him. "_What?"_ she shouted.

Wil paled and began to shake. "Ah, I mean, ah…"

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "I'm so nervous!" she said to Nino. "Your boyfriend better not have gotten himself killed."

"This is Jaffar we're talking about," Nino responded. "He's not going to die. Have you seen him in a battle before?"

"Well, once or twice," Serra answered. "I saw him do that…I don't even know what to call it. That thing where he practically vanishes and falls on the enemy."

"Yeah, he's good at that…" Nino answered. "I think that was his specialty back in the Fang."

Serra sat back and continued staring out at the forest. "What did he do in the Fang, anyway?" she asked the sage. "Did he have a special job or was he just an assassin?"

Nino paused. "Well, he was basically Nergal's little slave," she said. "He was raised to follow that man's every whim. I don't think he had a specific job though…"

"Oh. That's kind of creepy."

Nino giggled. "That's funny coming from you," she said. "How many vassals did you say you wanted?"

"Five hundred and seventy…HEY!" Serra shot a glare at Nino. "I'll have you know that I would never have any of my vassals kill people!"

Nino shook her head. "It doesn't matter now anyway," she said. "No point in thinking about it anymore." She stood up and walked off toward Lyn.

"Where are they?" Serra whispered. She looked around the camp and saw Priscilla riding towards the supply wagon.

_Maybe it's time to speed this up a little…

* * *

_

Matthew trudged through the woods, trying to find a reasonably clear path. Serra was still unconscious, and no amount of poking, tickling, or begging would get her to wake up. So, he was carrying her through a forest that had immense loads of underbrush. And spider webs.

"She is going to freak out when she wakes up," he said to himself. A small grin spread across his face. "Well, maybe I can clean her off a little bit before she wakes up."

As he walked, he began to feel a little strange. His body began to feel light, and Serra began to almost float in his arms. As he continued, he felt a bizarre energy flowing inside his body, and then…

"Aww, look at that!"

Matthew found himself standing next to the supply wagon, a few feet in front of Priscilla. She smiled gently and put her Warp Staff in her back.

Lyn turned to Hector. "I don't think you've EVER held me like that," she teased.

"Well, I'd probably break your little frame into two," he answered. He reached out to ruffle her hair, but thought better of it.

Matthew looked around. "Where's Serra's tent?" he asked. "I want her to rest for a while."

Priscilla looked toward the ruins. "I think Lord Eliwood will understand," she said. "I think her tent is over by Kent's."

Matthew nodded and began to walk over in that direction. As he walked, he passed by a familiar black tent. And with the familiar black tent came a familiar monocle...

"Excuse me," Canas called to the thief. "Could you come here for a second?"

Matthew looked at him. "Just a second," he answered. "I need to take Serra to her tent so she can rest."

"Oh, alright." Canas said. He slipped back in his tent.

* * *

"He says he's taking him/her to Serra's tent." Canas told Nino, Serra, Erk, and Renault. They had gathered inside Canas' tent to try and find a way to use the Archangel without causing a display.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Erk asked. "Don't you think it'll-"

"Do you want me stuck like this?" Serra snapped. "Let's wait a few minutes and go. Besides, we aren't breaking in, since it's MY tent." She glared at Erk again, who narrowed his eyes.

"…Are they always like this?" Renault muttered to Nino. She grinned and nodded emphatically.

"Now then," Canas said, "my research shows that a magic-user of each affinity must lend their power to the Archangel so that it can work fully. I, of course, will be the Elder magician." He looked around. "Who will be the Nature magician?"

"Um…I don't know if I can handle it," Nino said. "I'm not that good with staves yet…"

"I guess I'm doing it, then," Erk said.

"I'll be the Light magician," Renault mumbled.

Canas smiled. "This is going to be most excellent," he said excitedly. "I have always wanted to see the Archangel!" He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Erk looked at the tent flap. "I can't wait for this to be over," he said. "It's too strange for me to get used to."

"You think you're the only one?" Serra asked. "I haven't gotten to talk to Matthew in the past…um…week?"

"Your head would make an excellent drum," Erk said dryly. Serra responded by shoving his face into Canas' pillow.

"…I see they _are_ always like this…" Renault muttered to himself.

* * *

Yay! Chapter 10! Only one more, and then I'll start something new. I'm thinking about writing a story called Sociopathology, where Canas, Legault, and possibly others try to study Karel. Maybe.

Anyway, I'll try to finish this pretty soon. But, once again, I can't make any promises. XD

Bye!


	11. Finally Back to Normal

Okay…before I begin, I have to say something…

WARNING! ROMANCE ALERT! READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

Alright, now that that's said, enjoy! XD

* * *

Renault, Erk, and Canas walked into Serra's tent. Matthew looked up at them from his position on the carpet and gave them a smile. 

"Hey you guys," he greeted. "Come to visit Serra?"

Canas began to stammer. "Ah, well, ah, I suppose you could, uh…"

Renault closed his eyes. "I have a staff that can make enemies ignore a person," he said. "We are using it to bless the healers so that they are not targeted in this upcoming fight."

Matthew frowned at him. "Who are you? You're not one of the Fang, are you?"

"Hardly," Renault answered. "I merely want to see Nergal cast down."

Jaffar took that moment to return to consciousness. He saw the Archangel and the three magicians around it, and then saw Matthew and the bishop arguing. He summoned his strength one last time, and began.

"Matthew, it's okay!" he said. "I'd never let myself get berserked or silenced or anything stupid like that." He stood up and walked over to the group. "So this is the famed Shade Staff! I can't wait to see how it works!"

Serra frowned from her position outside. "I don't sound like that, do I?" she whispered Nino. Nino decided not to answer.

"Well, then!" Canas backed out of the tent. "Shall we go to the healer's tent?"

"You can't do it here?" Matthew asked.

Jaffar turned back to Matthew and smiled. "I can't be Shaded when people are _watching_!" he made up. "Don't worry; I'll be back before you know I'm gone." He turned to the three magicians and said "Ready?"

Canas and Erk stared at him with stupefied expression on their faces. "Uh…y-yeah?" Erk stammered.

The three made their way out of the tent and met up with Nino and Serra. Serra immediately stalked over to Jaffar and began berating him for his "screechy, arrogant, unbecoming impression," while Nino giggled and Canas considered studying Jaffar for signs of demon possession.

* * *

Priscilla looked at the group entering the healer's tent. "Hello," she said. "What's going on?" 

Canas searched his mind for an answer. "We need to borrow this tent for a while," he said. "We…um…need to cast a Shade spell on Serra."

Priscilla nodded. "Oh, alright. Do you need my help?"

"No, I think we can handle it," Erk answered. She smiled at them and stepped outside, leaving them with the unconscious form of Bartre.

Serra took a deep breath and walked to the center of the tent. Jaffar waited a few seconds and then followed suit.

"Um…" Erk said. "How are we supposed to do this?"

"According to my research, we must place our hands on the staff in such a manner that they represent the triangle ofmagic." Canas scratched his nose. "From top to bottom, that is."

Erk stared at him. "Okay…can you say that again so that I can understand it?"

"Well…" Canas began, "Here. I'll place my hands like this…" he held the staff near the center. "And then you place your hands below mine, because Elder defeats Nature…" Erk narrowed his eyes at the druid and then put his hands below Canas'. "And then Renault, you put one hand above mine, because Light dispels darkness, and one below Erk's, because Nature overcomes Light." Renault nodded and followed Canas' directions.

"Now all we have to do is focus our energy into the staff and pray that these two will return to their proper bodies." Canas closed his eyes and began to focus, and Erk and Renault followed suit. The staff began to glow a blinding white, and a soft hum filled the tent.

Serra turned to Jaffar. "You know," she said, "I, um…maybe we can hang out a little once we're back to normal. You know, you and me and Matthew and Nino. The four of us, double dating, or something."

Jaffar blinked. Someone was trying to socialize with him?

Serra laughed. "Sorry. I forgot you and Matthew don't get along. I guess a few lunches will fix that! Besides, I'll give him a good word or two for you."

Jaffar looked over to the staff. The light began to change colors, first to a soft pink, then to a brilliant red, and finally back to white.

"That…sounds nice." He murmured. "If Matthew doesn't mind."

That light filled the room, and the two slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

Jaffar was the first to wake up. He stood up slowly and took a mental inventory. Everything was fine; his sight was as keen as it had always been, his hearing had returned, his twin blades were at his side. He let out a sigh of relief and looked around. 

"Hey," Nino said, smiling. "I've missed you."

He walked over to her and hugged her. "I've missed you as too," he said softly.

Canas smiled at the two of them. "I see we've been successful!" he said. "I must say, that was quite an experience." He turned to Renault. "Thank you for all your help with this. I know it probably isn't what you had in mind when you joined us…"

"Don't worry," he answered. "That part is yet to come."

Erk folded his arms and walked over to Serra, who had just woken up and was trying to sit upright. "Lazy as ever…" he grumbled as he pulled her to a standing position.

"Aww, maybe I just want you to hold my hand," she said playfully. She rushed over to Canas and gave him a suffocating hug. "Thanks, Canas!" she said sweetly. She turned to Renault and embraced him as well. "Thanks, Father Renault!" She walked over to the entrance, waved, and ran off for her tent.

"I see she hasn't changed _at all_…" Erk said.

"Maybe she's changed more than you think," Jaffar answered quietly.

* * *

"MAAAATHEEEEEEEW!" 

Serra stormed into her tent and rammed into Matthew, causing him to fall over onto her cot. He lay stunned for a second, and then wrapped his arms around her.

"Wow," he said, laughing. "You must have really enjoyed that!"

She grinned at him. "Well, I missed you while I was gone."

He smiled back at her. "You were gone for fifteen minutes. I'd say that makes me fairly happy…You know, it's nice to have you back."

Serra blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You've just seemed a little off lately," he explained. "I'm glad you feel better."

She giggled. "Me, too."

He leaned in and gave her a kiss. Within minutes, they had lost all thought of the rest of the world.

* * *

Okay, it was a little fluffy…but it's the end of something that was at least _supposed_ to be a little romantic, so I'm okay with it. 

So…this is the end. It's been fun. Thanks for the reviews, everyone!


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